


Trapper John

by BettyHT



Series: Trapper John [1]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 23:05:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15783963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: Hoss meets a man in the mountains whose life intersects with the Cartwrights a number of times.  First in a set of three Trapper John stories -- next up is Suspicion.





	Trapper John

Trapper John

Chapter 1

Prologue

In 1828, a group of white trappers worked their way into the mountains of Nevada. With them was a young man, John McCoy, indentured to them by his father. John did all the camp chores, the cooking, the laundry, and any other duties the men deemed were his to do. Generally they treated him fairly though because they didn't want to lose his services by working him to death or by making him ill. John didn't like being ordered around by these men but did enjoy finally being free of the drunken tirades and the beatings he regularly had received from his father. Only sixteen years old, he was thin but strong and wiry, able to do what he had to do. That all changed after a severe thunderstorm raged through the mountains for several days. Going to get firewood, he walked on a slope that gave way sending him tumbling down a steep slope. He ended up alive but battered at the bottom of the hill on which they were camped. The men slowly made their way down to him where he writhed in pain from a severely broken leg. They set it not expecting him to survive. He did, but they knew he wouldn't be able to walk for months and wouldn't be able to work at all. They left him at the camp with adequate food, firewood, and only a short hop to a stream for water as they continued on their way collecting furs. They promised to come back for him thinking they would return the way they had come. However, they had no experience with the heavy snows of the high southern Sierra Nevada mountains. They found it impossible to return for the boy. In spring, they returned expecting the worst but found nothing. There was no sign that a camp had ever existed.

After the trappers had abandoned the boy that spring riding away leading their packhorses loaded with furs, Paiute who had been watching them all the while they had been there came into the camp. John had only a knife to defend himself and didn't even try when he saw the half dozen Paiute men standing in his camp that morning. He expected to die and stared at them with defiance planning to die at least with as much dignity as one could laying on a bedroll with one leg heavily splinted. One of the men picked up his sack of food and another picked up his iron kettle. John waited for the others to notch arrows into their bows and finish him off. Instead, they reached down and picked him up carrying him by his bedroll. He didn't know what they planned to do with him, but at that point, he was beginning to be more curious than afraid. A few hours later, they set him down next to a wickiup and several women came over to him and offered him water to drink and some food. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was better than being shot with arrows so he ate it and he drank the water. Then he thanked them and smiled. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled his knife that seemed to frighten them for a moment, but he turned it around to offer it butt end first to one of the men who had carried him. The man looked at him for only a moment and then accepted the steel knife. A lifelong alliance was born.

For more than twenty years, John didn't speak with another white man except to trade his furs for goods, firearms, and ammunition. He lived a solitary life as a trapper, but he regularly gave extra meat, supplies, and occasionally special items such as iron pots, mirrors, steel knives, and other items to the Paiute. He had a severe limp and a misshapen leg, but he had his life that he would not have had without their intervention. He knew that, and he knew their language and culture. He couldn't adapt to living with them, and he couldn't find it in his heart to go back to the white culture which had treated him so badly. There were things he missed, but he preferred what he had to living with others so he tolerated those losses.

Then one day, he saw a large young man or boy who had been riding on a big dark horse freeing a fawn from some brush. It was an amazing thing to behold, and he moved closer because he could hear him talking and wanted to know what he was saying.

The Meeting

"Now, I'm plumb sorry I startled ya like that. I didn't mean ya no harm. Ifn ya would settle down some, I'd get ya outta these here brambles and such and you kin go off and find your mama. Now, how'd that be?" Working as carefully as he could, Hoss Cartwright worked the brambles away from the fragile legs of the young fawn. He guessed she couldn't be more than a week old. It had been entirely accidental that he had ridden right across where her mother had hidden her away while she went to eat. Even now, the mother might be close and so worried about her offspring. Hoss hoped to free her quickly before the mother panicked and perhaps didn't come back soon enough. The little one looked well fed and her ears were plump indicating she had been fed well enough recently. Finally, he had her free and lifted her carefully away from all the brambles and then set her on the ground. "Now you go off and find your mama. I'll make sure nothing gets to ya until you do."

Staggering a little, the fawn slowly made its way up the hill and into heavier cover. Hoss could only assume that its mother was up there somewhere. At least, he hoped she was. He sighed deeply knowing that his promise was one he couldn't keep. "I sure hope you find your mama. I really am sorry I scared ya like that."

"You must be a different kind of white man."

Hoss nearly stumbled and fell after jumping at John's statement for he had no idea there was anyone anywhere near him. Whirling around, he was going to draw his pistol until he saw the bemused expression on the other man's face.

"If I had wanted to kill you or harm you, that would already be done, son. I thought you were older. You're a big one."

"Yeah, everybody says that."

"How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"What you doing way up here?"

"I brought up some beef for the Paiute from our ranch. We bring some every year."

"You one of them Cartwrights then that they talk about?"

"Yeah, I'm Hoss Cartwright."

"I used to see a skinnier darker boy doing that. Haven't seen him in a while. I know the Paiute liked him. He and Young Wolf hunted together some."

"That was my brother, Adam. He left."

"Left?"

"He's away at college. Pa let me bring some beef up this year. Adam's supposed to come back in a year or less. I miss him a lot."

Looking thoughtful, John had a question. "Say, you let that fawn go, so does that mean you got meat for your supper already?"

Looking a little sheepish, Hoss kicked at the dirt. "Nah, but I couldn't rightly eat one of those. Wouldn't be able to swallow anything like that. Nope, gonna hafta cook up some beans and be satisfied with that."

"Y'all can come eat with me. I got lots of meat cooking at my place up the hill a piece. Been making stew for twenty years now. I don't like to brag, but it's pretty good."

"Stew's better'n beans any day. I'll take ya up on that offer."

Hoss grabbed the reins of his horse that he had tied off to a sapling and followed John up the hill to the camp well camouflaged so that one would have to be led to it or trail John to it. It would never be spotted by anyone riding by. Of course, Hoss had questions. John expected that. He tried at first to put him off, but found that he liked talking with Hoss, and as they ate, he told more and more of his story starting with why his leg was the way it was bent to one side, and how he was a friend to the Paiute.

"Adam used to wonder about that and ask Pa about it. Pa could never answer the questions Adam had neither."

"What questions?"

"Adam would ask how the Paiute up here kept getting new stuff. Like every time he visited, he would notice new pots or mirrors or someone would have a new rifle. They'd never say how they got nothing. It was all a big mystery, but now I know the answer. Is it all right ifn I tell Adam when he gets back. I know he probably still wonders about it. He's like that. He gnaws on a question 'til he gets himself an answer."

"He must be a real smart one to have noticed those things. I only ever give 'em one or two things at a time, and he didn't visit that much."

"Yeah, he's real smart about stuff like that."

"Well, you can tell him if you can trust him with the answer."

"Oh, I can trust him. You could trust him too. He won't give away no secrets. He's better with secrets than I am. I won't tell my little brother though. He ain't so good with secrets. I kin tell my Pa too. He's real good with secrets too. And I kin tell Hop Sing. He's the best with secrets that there is."

"Hold on there. Who's Hop Sing?"

So Hoss told the story of his family and how they got their ranch and about all three wives his father had lost, about Hop Sing, and about anything else he thought was pertinent. Finally he had a question for John. "You got anybody?"

"Nope." Hoss looked so sad on hearing that news that John felt compelled to tell his story so he did for the first time to a white man, or boy. He explained what had happened to him from when his father had indentured him until he ended up with a broken leg and was rescued by the Paiute.

"John, not all white men are like your pa and those trappers."

"Maybe in your experience but not in mine. Listen, you can spend the night here, and you're welcome to visit any time you want. Just come close and holler."

"Thank you. I will."

Hoss spent the night in the warm and cozy cabin. The next morning after a filling breakfast, he saddled his horse and was ready to ride home. "John, you're more than welcome to visit the Ponderosa any time. I'll offer you the same as you gave me, a warm place to sleep and good food. There's one more thing I can offer. We have trouble up on this end of the Ponderosa. Sometimes, folks come in and think it's all right to help themselves to some of our cattle. Now ifn they're hungry and take one, we're not gonna go chasin' off after 'em. But some like to take more and sell 'em. Ifn you was to let us know about any of those rustlers, there'd be a reward. You and the Paiute could use it any way you saw fit."

John nodded in agreement thinking that Adam wasn't the only smart Cartwright. Hoss had appealed to him in the one way that he knew would make John agree. If he helped catch rustlers, he could help the Paiute more. Hoss smiled at him then because he knew too what he had done. John shook his head and laughed as Hoss turned to ride to his home. Some day he thought he might like to meet the rest of these Cartwrights.

Chapter 2

Although Ben wanted to know all about John, Hoss had little to tell him. John wasn't living on the Ponderosa although he was close to its borders. He had agreed to watch for rustlers and Ben liked that although he wondered if John took beef too. Hoss doubted that because he saw all the furs that John had and assured his father that John had plenty of meat without taking any Ponderosa beef.

"And you say he's the one who's been helping Winnemucca's tribe all these years?"

"Yes, he's the one."

"Why wouldn't Chief Winnemucca tell us? We're friends. Surely he would know we wouldn't mean any harm to this John."

"Pa, he knows John don't wanna see any whites after what happened to him. Now I invited him down here, but I don't know ifn he's gonna ever come. He don't trust whites."

"But he's white and he should be with his own people. It's too sad to think of him living alone like that ever since he was only a boy really."

"Pa, he doesn't seem too unhappy. He's made his choices. I done told him he's welcome down here. I guess it's up to him now ifn he wants to come see us. He told me I'm welcome to visit him any time. I jest got to go up there near to where he is and holler." Hoss had a grin then. It felt good to him to have someone who had accepted him so completely. As he had grown so big, not everyone was so willing to accept him. John had noted his imposing size, and then moved on as if once noted, it no longer merited any further mention. He had cleared an extra large space in front of his fireplace for Hoss to lay down his bedroll without comment too that night in his small cabin moving a few things out of the way so that Hoss could stretch out comfortably. John used words like skinnier, taller, and bigger as simple descriptors with no judgment attached. Hoss liked that. In his mind, he was thinking about what he could take up to John's place the next time he visited. He didn't pay as much attention to what he was doing though.

"Hoss, watch where you're going. You could have killed your brother with that!"

Suddenly paying close attention, Hoss realized that he could have decapitated Little Joe with the scythe he had turned to fling into the back of a wagon. He was heading out to clear some weeds and brush that day in preparation for building a new corral and had been loading the tools he needed. "Sorry, Pa. Sorry, Little Joe. Guess I was thinking and not paying attention."

"Thinking about what?" Little Joe at ten was always curious.

"More like who. Your brother was telling me more about this trapper named John that he met up in the mountains near where the Paiute camp is."

"Can I go with you when you go to see him, Hoss?"

"It's an overnight trip, and you know Pa don't let you go on none of those yet, Little Joe. You can help me with clearing this brush and such today so we can start putting up the corral fence tomorrow."

Little Joe looked less than pleased with that suggestion especially because it was offered in front of their father. He had a good idea of what would come next and it did.

"That's a wonderful idea. Little Joe, you help your brother today. I have a lot of work to do, and Hop Sing does too. Then starting tomorrow, you can help him put in that corral fence. Good thinking, Hoss. Little Joe can be a good helper for you."

With a gulp because he saw how Little Joe looked, Hoss agreed. However he feared that Little Joe might be a problem for the rest of the day unless he could come up with something to make him agreeable to helping out so he had to quickly formulate a plan. When their father walked back to the house, he was ready. "I'm thinking that today, I ought to tell you a little bit more about John. Maybe I could tell you about his leg."

"What about his leg? Does Trapper John have a wooden leg? I heard Pa talk about sailors who ended up with wooden legs. It would be so much fun to meet someone who really had one. Does he have one?"

And Hoss decided right there that Adam wasn't going to be the only one who told tall tales to entertain their younger brother. "Yes, yes, he does. And when we get out to where we're going to build this here new corral, I'll tell you how he got it."

To that extent, Hoss' plan worked. Little Joe helped him get the wagon loaded, filled several canteens with water for them, and hopped up on the wagon seat without dragging his feet with innumerable excuses. Soon they were on their way enjoying the day and each other's company. At the corral site soon, they unloaded the wagon, and Hoss got to work. Little Joe waited patiently or what to his mind was patiently but then wanted his story. Hoss began to tell snippets of it between swings of the scythe as he cut down some tall grass and scrub brush.

"Well, John come out here with Lewis and Clark when they was exploring the west trying to find a way to the ocean over here on this side. He and some of the others got lost and never found their way back to the main group. So they decided, what the heck, we'll start fur trapping to make us some money so we can live. You see, the French was already buying up these furs from the tribes out here. Pretty soon, the French decided to send some of their people out here to get furs too and so did a lot of other people. So John and the people he was with decided to move further south and ended up here in the mountains. Well you know how bad the storms can be around here. One of them storms blew John right down the side of the mountain and took his leg clean off." Hoss paused to wipe his brow then and take a good look at Little Joe. He had him mesmerized with the story especially that last part as Little Joe imagined what it would be like to have a leg torn clean away. Of course, Hoss didn't anticipate the questions that came next and had to quickly think of an answer.

"Did it tear it away here or here?" Little Joe pointed to his knee and to his hip as he asked.

Thinking quickly, Hoss knew it had to be the knee. "Well, of course it was the knee. Ifn it was the hip, he woulda died."

"Why?"

"He woulda been bleeding too much. You remember when we had that hand who got cut real bad in that knife fight. He got stabbed high up above the knee. We couldn't stop the bleeding. He died."

"Oh, yeah. That was awful. That's when Pa put in that rule that the men can't drink in the bunkhouse. He said they wouldn't have had that fight if the two of them hadn't been drinking."

"Yeah, we lost two hands over that. We had to take the other one over to Genoa and they decided he had to go on trial."

"What happened to him anyway?"

"They found him guilty of something but it wasn't murder cause they was both fighting. He pulled a knife though and the other man didn't have one so they decided he had to be punished, but there's no prison around here. The judge said ifn he signed up for the Army, he would let him go. The Army really needed some men so the man signed on. Don't know what happened to him after that."

"Oh. So now tell me more about John's leg."

"Well, he was a laying at the bottom of that mountain and all he had left was a knife."

"What about his friends?"

"Ah, the storm blew them clear across to the next mountain. They didn't know where John ended up."

"Oh. So what did John do?"

"Well, he used that knife to carve himself a wooden leg. That is, he did once he bandaged up where he was bleeding and all. He measured out how long it had to be and carved it just so. But you know that nothing grows straight way up high on those mountains, so his wooden leg is crooked. He used the leather from his vest to make straps to tie the wooden leg to what was left of his leg and that was that. He walked for a piece until he found a Paiute camp. They took him in for the winter, and he was so grateful that he's been helping 'em out ever since."

"Wow, I can't wait to see that wooden leg. I bet it's something to see, isn't it, Hoss?"

"Well, Little Joe, I ain't never seen it. It ain't polite to ask to see someone's wooden leg."

"But Pa says he's seen them."

"Well, I guess sailors don't wear long pants that cover 'em up. But up there in the mountains, ya gotta wear a lot to stay warm, and John's leg is all covered up. Can't see a bit of it, but you can see it's crooked and you can see how he limps 'cause of it."

By the time that Hoss took Little Joe back to the house for lunch, Ben was suitably impressed at Little Joe's good mood and willingness to go back out to work with Hoss. "I'm not sure what you've done, Hoss, but you have found a way to work with your younger brother. I have to commend you."

"Huh?"

"You're doing a fine job working with Little Joe. Thank you."

"You know, Pa, I finally figured out why Adam used to tell us all those stories while we was working. I thought he jest liked having us there to laugh at his stories and such. Now I think it was 'cause he knew we'd work better ifn he was telling them there stories."

Smiling not only because he now knew how Hoss had kept Little Joe working and in a good mood but because Hoss was gaining some of the wisdom of an adult, Ben wrapped an arm around his middle son's shoulders although he already had to reach up to do it. "Son, I am very proud of you at this moment. You are becoming a very wise young man."

Hoss got one of those aw shucks looks of his, but it was clear that he was pleased. Things progressed well for the next several days as the area was cleared and the posts for the new corral fences were set. Hoss spent some time each night before falling asleep thinking of stories to tell Little Joe and trying to remember some of the stories that Adam had told him when they were younger. Each night, he and Little Joe played checkers before the fireplace as their father enjoyed his pipe and sometimes a brandy as he read. On one of those early evenings, there was a knock at the door. Ben motioned to Little Joe to go answer it. When he did, he came back looking a little bit shaken.

"Pa, Hoss, there's a huge pile of furs at the door and it says he wants to see Hoss."

Hoss jumped up with enthusiasm while Ben followed more cautiously with Little Joe hovering carefully behind him.

"John, you came!"

"You said if I saw anybody taking your cattle, I was to come tell you and there'd be a reward. Well, some men took some of your cattle. I can show you where they took 'em."

Instantly on alert, Ben wanted to know more. "How many men and how many cattle?"

"Two men and about twenty cattle. They weren't very good at it and lost a few of the cattle. I herded those four back to your land. They still got about sixteen unless they've lost more of them. They were moving slowly toward the town you call Eagle Station."

"Well, you can stay here tonight. It's too dark now to do anything about it."

"It's not too dark. I could lead you, and we could get ahead of them. They're moving slowly and I don't think there is a chance that they are moving at night. They have enough trouble moving in the daylight. I ride through the dark all the time. The Paiute travel at night frequently. You have to be careful, but you can do it."

"Pa, I think we ought to do it."

Looking at Hoss, Ben evaluated all that he knew. If John meant any harm, he had already had ample opportunity to do it and had not. He had helped instead. Ben nodded. They would trust him. "Hoss, go get a few of the men. I'll tell Hop Sing we're going. Little Joe, you'll stay here and obey Hop Sing. No questions and no complaints." Ben's tone indicated that Little Joe wasn't to argue. He didn't. Ben turned back to John. "Thank you. We'll be ready as quickly as we can."

In less than an hour, John was leading Ben, Hoss, and three hands in a single file on a course to intercept the rustlers who were going to get a big surprise early the next morning when they started to move those cattle toward Eagle Station.

Chapter 3

Travel was slow and when it got cloudy, John called a halt because even he didn't think it was safe to travel then. He told Ben that they could all try to get a few hours sleep. "We'll still be able to cut them off. We can ride faster than they can and we made good progress already. Soon as I can see enough, I'll wake y'all and lead you on outta here."

There was only the faintest hint that dawn was near when John woke them to tell them he was ready to move out because he could see enough to lead them. They again proceeded single file following the path John set for them. As the sun rose, their speed increased and they could fan out to move faster. It was midday before Hoss spotted movement up ahead. John was impressed with the young man's eyesight. He told the others to hang back as he and Ben went ahead to be sure these were the ones they were after. From about a half-mile ahead, John and Ben signaled for the others to come up to where they were. From above, they had a good view of the two men attempting to herd the cattle down the slope. As John had said, they weren't very good at it and the cattle seemed to know it trying to get away at every chance they got. Despite everything that was serious about the situation, the men from the ranch had to smile. Then they got down to the serious business of apprehending the two rustlers. It was decided that John and Hoss would stay to the rear in case they tried to retreat, Ben and one hand would ride to the right, and the two hands would ride to the left. Once the two men saw that there were six arrayed against them, they hoped they would give up without a fight but knew too that desperate men couldn't be counted on to do the smart, logical thing. Thankfully, this time, the two were so inept that they were nearly surrounded before they realized they were caught. With six guns pointed at them, they did give up. Once they were disarmed, Ben sent them with two of the hands to Eagle Station where they could decide what to do with them. He and the others herded the cattle back to the ranch. Once they got there, Ben asked John what a proper reward would be for his help.

"I know Hoss promised you a reward, but he never specified what it would be. I don't know what you need or want, so I don't know what to offer."

"Well, Hoss brought some beef up recently or I'd say that would be what I would like. Maybe if you had some nice blankets though. With the cold weather, some nice blankets would be nice."

"We just got a wide bolt of cotton muslin to make sheets. We have extra wool blankets too. We could cut some cotton muslin because that would be nice for them to use for babies and the children, and we could throw in a few wool blankets too for warmth. We bought a supply of tin cups for the bunkhouse and could spare a few of those too. Does that sound fair to you?"

"I think that's a good deal if you would add a bit of sugar to the list. I've had trouble finding any honey lately and some sugar would be nice to have."

Offering his hand then, Ben sealed the deal with John. "You see any more sign of rustlers or trespassers up your way, you let us know. Hoss' offer is still good. Not only did we stop those two today, but word will get out that they got caught, and that will make others think twice before they try anything like that."

"I like you Cartwrights. I kind of thought you would shoot those two. You had every right to do it, but you gave them a chance to live. You kept your word too on the reward and treated me fair and square. You're white men who keep your word and have honor. I haven't met that many like you."

"It's how I was taught to live my life, and it's how I'm teaching my sons. Now, you're welcome to stay at our ranch today, have dinner, and head back tomorrow. It will be late before we get this all squared away."

"Naw, I'd like to be on my way as soon as I can. I'm not that comfortable around a lot of folk, but I thank you for the offer. I do have one question though, and I hope you ain't offended by it."

"No, I won't be offended by a question. What is it?"

"Is your younger one all right in the head? Ever since we got back here, he's been circling around me and staring at my legs. It's kind of strange like he ain't seen legs before."

With that, Hoss turned red and coughed to get his father's attention. Using his head to indicate direction, he got Ben to move away a bit and whispered in his father's ear. It was somewhat difficult to determine whether Ben was more amused or perturbed at that point, but at least he understood what had happened. He moved back to John.

"Ah, it seems that Hoss was doing some fancy storytelling, and he told his younger brother about your wooden leg, you know, the one you carved for yourself after yours got ripped off in a storm. Little Joe has been trying to catch a glimpse of it ever since you got back here."

Confused at first but quickly catching on to what had happened, John began to chuckle. "Naw, I don't let anybody see my wooden leg. It's all moss covered and dirty after so many years. I ought to carve a new one but this one is attached to me so well, I hate to give it up."

"I can understand that. A man is entitled to his privacy. Little Joe, I hope you heard that. It's not polite to try to see his wooden leg after he told you he wants to keep it under wraps."

"Huh?"

"He wants to keep it covered so it's under his leathers and furs and he doesn't want anyone to see it."

"Oh." A lot of disappointment was conveyed in that one word.

After sending Little Joe to the kitchen to get some sugar for John, the three men shared a good laugh, and then got the supplies Ben had promised to John. When Little Joe returned with the sugar, John carefully packed the precious commodity before heading back up the mountain to his home. It was the beginning of a productive and rewarding partnership between John and the Cartwrights. Trespassers and would-be rustlers in the high country of the Ponderosa never did learn how they were always found out so quickly. Each time, John and the Paiute benefited from their efforts to violate the law and the property rights of the Ponderosa. Hoss enjoyed his friendship with John and those trips he made up to the high country to visit with him though they were infrequent. When Adam returned from his four years away at college, one of the topics of conversation was Trapper John.

"That name sounds so familiar like I should know it."

"But you never met him, Adam?"

"No, Hoss, I never did. Maybe someday I will. It was certainly a good thing you met him. It's done a lot of good for the Ponderosa and for the Paiute. You should be proud of yourself because I sure am proud of you."

That was something that made Hoss feel good. He had learned something about the Paiute that Adam had not known, and he had done something in the high country that Adam had not done. When you have an older brother, it's difficult because they always do things first. Finally, Hoss got to do something first. It did make him proud, and that Adam thought it was quite an accomplishment made it even better. On his next trip up to see John, Hoss asked if he wanted to meet Adam. John declined. He was in one of his moods when he was down on whites again. He had heard about some of the things that had happened to some of the Paiute women and what had happened to some of the tribes further east and north. Rape, war, enslavement, and disease were destroying the native populations. It made him angry and sullen. He was still as warm as ever to Hoss, but less than welcoming to the idea of meeting any other whites. Hoss tried to tell him that he and Adam were of a like mind on those topics, but there was no talking to John when he was in that kind of mood so Adam didn't meet John.

There were times that Hoss talked to Adam about John, and sometimes Ben and Adam talked about John and used words like transcendentalism and things like that. Over the years, they talked about writers like Emerson and self-reliance and how John exemplified some of the things he talked about, but Adam would bring up another man named Thoreau and a pond he had. Hoss never cared much for those conversations. He wanted John to be happy, and what he thought was that John was lonely no matter that John said he wasn't. John would talk wistfully of Paiute women he had been with but who would not take him as a husband. Hoss told him he ought to come down and live and work on the Ponderosa, but John would never even consider the idea. He said he was happy where he was, but Hoss didn't think that was entirely true. So for years, he kept on asking, and John kept on saying no, but Hoss kept visiting because he wanted to help John as much as he could. Then one day he rode up to see John, and John knew he had to help Hoss.

"Something is bothering you a lot. Why don't you spit it out."

Dropping down heavily next to the fire on the big chair that John had made especially for Hoss from furs, leather, and cedar he had brought up the mountain, Hoss expelled a deep sigh. "He left, and I ain't rightly sure he's gonna come back even if he said he would."

"Who left?"

"Adam."

"He left again?"

"Yeah, I always figured he would. He's got that kind of thing in him that makes him want to move on all the time. He can't sit still in one place like regular folks. He's curious about things and wants to see for himself what other people have seen. Reading about stuff or seeing pictures ain't good enough for him."

"So why are you so upset? You knew it was coming."

"He's my brother. I'm gonna miss him."

"You got another brother."  
"Yeah, but that don't mean I won't miss the one that's gone."

"Why don't you think he's coming back if he said he's coming back. He came back last time. He a liar kind of man?"

"No, he always keeps his promises. Well, he does ifn he kin, but he'll be all alone out there. He won't have nobody to help him. If something bad happens, he'll be all alone."

"Wasn't he all alone the last time?"

"Nah, he had his grandpa, his mother's father. He had people that Pa knew when he lived out there, but they're all gone now, and besides, he ain't going to Boston. He's going to be going all over. He don't even know all the places he's gonna be going. How can he be safe?"

"You believe in God?"

Startled by the change in direction of the conversation and especially into an area that they had never discussed, Hoss didn't answer at first. John gestured impatiently. "Yeah, I do."

"Then pray, trust, and have faith."

"That's what Pa said."

"He's a smart man."

"You're a smart man too, Trapper John. Thank you. I guess I needed somebody other than my Pa to say that to me. I do feel better about it now."

It was 1866. There were going to be other reasons to pray too mostly for the Paiute but eventually John had problems too when he tried to help the Cartwrights and got in over his head by trying to do too much.

Chapter 4

"I need help." John stood at the door of the Ponderosa surprising Hoss.

"You sick or hurt?"

"It's not me. It's the Paiute. Some of them were down trading with some whites on some of them small ranches and such. Now there's measles in the camp. Only some are sick so far, but both you and me know what's gonna happen next. We have get ready for an epidemic."

Hoss had never seen John look so worried. Usually the man was as calm as anyone Hoss had ever met taking everything as it came to him. He was a small man by Hoss' standards but Hoss still compared his demeanor to that of a grizzly bear who cocked his head at any new thing and acted as if it couldn't hurt him as he thought about how he would deal with it. However this new threat had unnerved the man and the feeling was contagious. Hoss told John to follow him to the kitchen where he asked Hop Sing for the best way to deal with measles. John listened carefully too as Hop Sing first asked why but then very quickly laid out what the two must do for their patients even as he gathered things from his kitchen that they could use. Then he sent them to get cotton cloths to use to help cool the fevers their patients would have and told them to take extra tin cups and canteens so that they could carry in lots of clean water to use. He knew it would be very difficult to accomplish but wanted them to separate the sick from the healthy. While they gathered what they needed, Hop Sing packed up food for them and for the Paiute who would be too ill to forage and gather what they needed. It took quite a while to get what they needed and then load it all on packhorses as well as saddle up Chubb. John got more and more agitated the longer it took.

"John, an hour or two ain't gonna make much difference, but these things we're bringing will make a difference so ya gotta settle on down. Ya know I mean to help much as you do."

"I wish we had more help."

"I do too, but Pa's away on a business trip to Sacramento, and Joe's out working getting ready for the drive. I was about to head out to help him. Ifn I could, I'd pull some more to go help, but I don't know who I could get right now. It would take too much time. I left word with Hop Sing. They'll send folks on up to help us soon as they can."

"I guess that's better than using up any more time."

"Shur is. Now, let's ride, but remember, we gotta take it easy on these animals. It's a long ride, and it won't do those people no good ifn we was to ride these animals into the ground. I got two extra horses, but that's all the extra we got right now."

They did manage to turn a two-day trip into a day and a half. Even that had John frustrated and anxious. When they finally rode into the encampment, the situation was much worse than what John had left less than four days earlier. It was clearly now a camp in which many were ill. They were met by a number of men but both John and Hoss noted that there were few of the older men in the throng. They dismounted and asked what the count was of those already sick. It was disheartening, but they immediately explained what Hop Sing had told them they had to do. Hoss spoke first with John at his side.

"We need to separate the camp into two. We need the healthy ones to go set up a new camp. We'll stay here and take care of those who are already sick. If anyone in the new camp gets sick, they'll have to come back here so we can take care of them."

"No, we are one people. We stay one people." One spoke but the others nodded in agreement.

John stepped forward. "You know me. You know I have spent many years doing all I could to show my thanks for what was done for me. Now I ask you to do this so I can help save lives as you saved mine. If you stay here, you will get sick. Everyone who stays here will get sick."

"How can you stay here and Hoss stay here then?" The men were skeptical but at least were listening.

"We have had this disease before. Once you have it and live, you cannot get it again." Neither Hoss nor John mentioned that most whites survived such a disease although it could kill.

"The women will not leave their children."

Hoss and John knew then that they were making progress but that was a tough argument to counter. However one of the older men, probably one of the council, stepped forward then, and he addressed not only the young men but the women and some youngsters who had gathered to listen.

"Let the grandmothers care for the children, and let the young women go with their husbands and care for them. I will stay here too and help."

Everyone there knew what he meant. One of the young men however was realistic.

"Some of the young women will not go. They have babies at their breast."

"I know. I know too that what Hoss and John say is true. I have seen the sickness before with other tribes and most die. Here we can try to save many. Let us do as they say."

To be cautious, Hoss warned that those leaving should not take any furs or blankets that any of the sick had used. They should only use those they had used themselves. In a short time, quite a few had left the camp amid much sorrow but no tears. They knew it had to be done. Then Hoss and John began working with those who were left to brew the teas that Hop Sing had sent to ease the discomfort, and they began pulling people out of dark, hot wickiups so that they could be cooled with compresses and hopefully have their fevers reduced. It went against what the people thought so some resisted at first, but gradually as some seemed so much more comfortable without the heavy furs covering them and cool compresses soothing the eruptions, others acquiesced to the treatment.

Despite their best efforts, some of the very young died as did some of the elderly. A few women who had recently given birth died as did their infants. Some who were young and who appeared robust and healthy overall succumbed too for reasons no one could explain. After a few weeks, twenty-seven had died but there were no more new cases and everyone else was recovering. One of those recovering was John. Midway through their work, Hoss had noted John working only in his shirt which was drenched in sweat. That made him suspicious, and when he got a chance, he took a good look at his friend.

"John, you got it!"

"I know."

"But I thought people couldn't get it again ifn they already had it."

"I never had the measles. I lied. I couldn't let these people die without helping."

"Ya durn fool!"

Luckily, one of the older hands on the Ponderosa who no longer went on drives had come up to help so Hoss still had assistance. Some of the Paiute who had recovered also were able by then to help out with those who were still ill. They were weak but could sit by the side of those still afflicted and apply cool compresses and help them drink fluids. The men from the other camp brought meat for stews and soups to feed those who couldn't fend for themselves. When it appeared that it was safe, Hoss told the two camps it was time for them to reunite. A month had passed and so had the epidemic. John was still weak though so Hoss took him to his cabin and sent the extra horses back to the Ponderosa with the hand who had come to help.

"Tell Pa I'll be back in a week as soon as I know John is all right."

"Hoss, I'm all right, and I can take care of myself."

"Well, I done learned that ya don't always tell the truth 'bout things like that. Now, I got an older brother used ta do that too. Always said he was 'fine' when sometimes he wasn't. Well, I learned with him. I'll decide for myself when you're all right and can take care of yourself."

"Can't take care of Adam so you're gonna take care of me, is that it?"

"Maybe. You're my friend and I can take care of you, so I'm gonna. Can't take care of my older brother."

"Hear from him?"

"Some. Not enough by my reckoning. We never know ifn it's because his letters get lost on the way here or ifn he ain't writing. Sometimes we get a letter and he talks about things we don't know about but he writes like we already know. Makes us think he wrote, but we never got the letter. With all the traveling he does, I guess that could happen. Makes it hard though."

"I bet it does. Must be very hard on your father too not knowing what's happening with his son."

"Yeah, it does. John, you think your father ever wonders what happened to you. I mean, did you ever write to your family to let them know you was alive or anything?"

With a shrug, John let Hoss know that he never had. They were silent on the issue for a time until Hoss asked John later if he had anybody in this world to call family any more.

"Nope. I fancied a few of them Paiute women. I think I told you that a time or two before, but none of them fancied me for a husband. I like them, but I couldn't live the way they live, and none like me enough to live the way I live. So here I am, fifty-six years old, and alone. I'll die alone up here like as not. I'm darn lucky these here measles didn't do me in."

There wasn't much more for Hoss to say to that. John had made his choices and wasn't likely to change his mind on any of them. He had asked Hoss a few years earlier for some books and recently had asked if there was a spare Bible he could start reading. He had learned to read as a youngster taught by his mother before she died from what he called the 'milk fever' that neither he nor Hoss understood. John said that's what his father called it and he had no idea what it was. Hoss said they had a lot of extra books because Adam had left so many behind so he brought those up one or two at a time on his visits, and John slowly worked his way through them improving his reading skills as he remembered and as he read more and more. Then John started to want to have conversations about some of the books, but Hoss hadn't read most of them. He started to read them so he could talk about them with John. Both Ben and Joe were amused on many evenings to see Hoss sprawled in the blue chair by the fireplace reading one of Adam's books. They didn't know why he did it and thought it was because he missed his brother. He did, but he read the books because when he discussed them with John, they spoke the same kind of language, and he felt like he was talking to an equal so he was more willing to read and explore new ideas.

After the measles epidemic, John and Hoss had a long philosophical discussion on why God let terrible things like that happen. Hoss talked about his mother dying and about Marie dying. They talked about other things too such as the Civil War that had nearly destroyed the country and whose wounds were still raw. They weren't able to resolve any of their questions on those issues but found it refreshing to be able to talk to someone about them, express doubts, and not hear any condemnation for anything they said. They had that kind of relationship. It was close enough that John could even tease Hoss about why he wasn't married yet. He loved the way Hoss stammered and stuttered through that answer each time. Then they would laugh. They laughed a lot. John relished those visits from Hoss and began to wonder if he had made the right choice in cutting himself off from the world.

Chapter 5

Explosions shook the earth and rocked John to wakefulness a few years later on a cool early morning. The vibrations were mild at his cabin, but the sounds echoed up and down the valley. He quickly got his rifle and moved off toward where the sounds had originated even though there were no more. As he got closer, he got down low and eventually crawled on his belly up to a ridgeline and peaked over wondering what he would see. What he found was a scene of devastation where the stream had been blasted into a muddy mess. Several men were working their way through the sand and gravel picking up what appeared to be gold nuggets. His conclusion was bolstered by the fact that they shouted with glee with each find. The land they had blasted away was on the Ponderosa and the water they had fouled flowed down into the high pasture used by the ranch for summer grazing. What they were doing would hurt hunting and fishing for him and for the Paiute too. Their survival depended on stopping what these men were intent on doing.

As John watched, two more men came from upstream carrying buckets and shovels apparently intent on digging through what had been blasted to look for more. He slid back down the slope out of sight to think about what to do. It would take two days to ride to the Ponderosa and then two days back. They could do a lot of irreparable damage in four days. Some hard riding could reduce it to three days, but that was still unacceptable. He had to come up with a better plan than that so he made his way to his cabin, saddled up, and headed to the Paiute camp where they were already aware of what had happened.

"Go to the Ponderosa. Alert the Cartwrights. They can bring enough men to stop these men from doing what they are doing."

"John, you know too that will take many days. They will do much damage before the Cartwrights can get here."

"I think I can stop them from that. I'm going to sneak into their camp and steal some of their supplies so they can't blast any more or it will be very difficult to blast, very dangerous for them."

"How long will that stop them?"

"As long as it takes them to get to a town to get more supplies. I figure about three days and by then, the Cartwrights ought to be here or close if you'll send some of your men to tell them what has happened."

Without saying a word, signals were given and several men left and soon were seen riding away to alert the Cartwrights. John knew they would ride hard. It would be three days though before that help would arrive unless they happened to be lucky enough to find some men in a pasture or some place closer who had the initiative to come up here without waiting for Ben Cartwright to give them the order. He hoped that might be true.

"Now, do you know where their camp is?" John guessed that they did, and it would save time if he didn't have to scout it out. He was thinking that he was fifty-seven years old and getting tired of these kinds of things. They told him where the camp was, and he mounted up on his horse and rode in that direction. Their camp wasn't very far from his cabin by the directions he had been given so he left his horse at his cabin to set out on foot for their camp. He left his rifle behind and carried only two pistols and two knives as well as a large empty knapsack on his back. As he got close to their camp, he moved very slowly careful not to make a sound in case there was someone in the camp. He need not have worried. They had gold fever. Every one of them was at the blast area looking for gold leaving their supplies vulnerable. He found what he was looking for rather quickly and loaded his knapsack with all the primer cord and blasting caps that it would hold. Then he emptied a sack of beans and used that sack to take the rest. When he was done, he did his best to scratch out his tracks and headed back to his cabin. John had never been a fugitive, had never been hunted. He didn't do a very good job of covering his tracks because the brush marks were all too obvious. If it had rained or if there had been a strong wind, he might have been all right, but Providence did not bless him with either of those.

When the gold seekers returned to their camp and found that an intruder had stolen their important supplies, they were furious. By then, it was too late to do anything about it as darkness was descending rapidly. In the mountains, when the sun set, it got very dark very fast. They planned to track the thief in the morning. John lay in his cabin having hidden the cord and caps away very well. He didn't sleep well though wondering what would happen next. The next morning, he heard them before he saw them. He hurried from his cabin and didn't even have time to get to his horse because those men were that close. He moved into the trees and began to climb. They heard him and pursued him firing shots after him even as several men began to search his property looking for the stolen items.

Miles away, Hoss and Candy heard the shots and guessed that there was trouble that might need their intervention. They had some hands with them and began a hard ride toward the sound of gunfire. Providence had smiled on John in an unexpected way. The Paiute had found Hoss and Candy moving a herd up to the upper pasture. After hearing what was happening, they left the cattle and rode as fast and hard as they could until darkness stopped them. Then early that morning, they had broken camp as early as they could and rode out as soon as there was enough light to see the trail so they could ride safely. Hoss had sent the Paiute back to the tribe not wanting them involved because of the danger to their tribe if whites were killed.

Higher up on the mountain, John's weak leg gave out and he fell. He pulled himself into the best cover he could find but knew that the men following him could easily flank him and take him that way. All he could hope to do was as much damage as possible before the inevitable happened. Then he looked further down the slope and smiled for there was no mistaking the size of that man on the big black horse. All he had to do was to hang on long enough for his friend to get to him. That turned out to be difficult enough.

Down below, Hoss led Candy and the others up the slope toward the gunfire riding at a breakneck pace because he knew that it was in the direction of John's cabin. As they got to John's cabin, they encountered two men tearing through John's things. Hoss challenged them and they decided to fight thinking their friends would come back to help them and not knowing that Hoss had more men coming up behind him. It was a fierce gun battle but lasted only about thirty seconds before the two men were shot down although by then Hoss had a wound in his left arm. Candy wanted him to stay put, but Hoss doggedly mounted back up on Chubb because there was still gunfire from higher up the slope. He knew that John still had to be in trouble and wasn't going to quit until he was all right.

That took a lot more shooting and more wounds as well as more dead gold seekers before it was all over. John was wounded but not seriously.

"Even skinny and scrawny as I am, I couldn't hide all of me behind these trees and rocks enough. They done managed to crease my hide a bit."

"Mine too." Hoss sat down heavily next to John.

"Don't you go passing out on us. Ain't near enough of us hear can carry you down this here mountain."

Candy was there with his bandana to wrap around Hoss' arm and echoed John's sentiments exactly trying to keep it light but knowing Hoss needed to get down to that cabin and a cot soon too. He told the men to help John and Hoss to stand and to guide them back down the mountain. "Neither of them is fit to ride so it'll be a walk. We'll come back for these others once we get our men taken care of. Hoss, why do you reckon they kept on fighting when they had to know it was hopeless. It was just like those two back at the cabin. I could see why they drew down on the two of us, but when the rest of the men rode in behind us, they should have seen that they had no chance, but they kept on shooting."

"Gold fever does crazy things to a man. I was here when the Comstock had the first run of men in here. Crazy things happened. Common sense ain't so common when there's gold or silver involved."

There wasn't much more to say about it after that. There would have to be an accounting to the sheriff in town, burials on boot hill, and probably a small story in the paper about how trespassers on the Ponderosa had chosen to shoot it out instead of leaving. There would be nothing said about gold. The hands who had come up with Hoss and Candy had been around long enough to know that they were better off with the Carwrights than following some gold fever. Hoss promised them a bonus and Candy said he would make sure that Ben and Joe knew what had been promised. The men knew they were true to their word. Once Hoss and John were settled back in the cabin and things were straightened up, Candy left with the hands to clean up the mess as much as they could. By the end of the day, Candy had sent the bodies to town with some, supplies of food as well as blankets, pots, and anything useful like that to the Paiute camp. The rest including the dynamite was loaded into the gold seekers' wagon and driven back to the Ponderosa. Candy spent the night to make sure that both Hoss and John were going to be able to fend for themselves.

"Candy, we don't need no nursemaid. All we got are some little scratches. Don't amount to nothing at all."

"Hoss, your pa would have my hide if I left you here without being sure you were all right, and don't even think to argue with me on that point. If you're both all right in the morning with no fever, I'll leave you here to recover on your own. Fair enough?"

Again, there was no choice in the matter. As expected, the next morning, Hoss and John were stiff and sore, but both were recovering as well as expected. Candy left to give a full and favorable report to Ben although he suspected he'd be sent back with food from Hop Sing's kitchen and probably also to check on Hoss' progress because he doubted Ben could wait a full week without knowing. It happened very much as he suspected. As soon as he was back, Ben sent him on a return trip loaded with concoctions from Hop Sing to speed healing as well as a number of Hoss' favorite foods and some clean clothing. He made the deliveries and turned around to head back to Ben with another even more favorable report having found that Hoss and John were enjoying their mini-vacation as they recovered from their minor wounds.

"How come he come on up here to check on you for your pa? I woulda thought that would be your younger brother's kind of responsibility."

"Nah, Joe don't like to come up here. He's kinda embarrassed every time he sees you. Reminds him how silly he was when he was younger 'specially all those years he thought you was walking 'round on a mossy, dirty ole wooden leg."

"Oh, yeah, I do remember the day he found out when we was fishing, and I done pulled my boots off to soak my feet in the water. I thought his eyes was gonna bug right on out of his head."

They laughed a lot about that and about the stories that Hoss got to tell about his family which entertained John as he recovered from his wounds. Hoss told him about Old Sheba as well as when he and Joe decided to raise rabbits. Those stories got the biggest laughs, but John liked hearing the story about how Adam almost ended up marrying Abigail Jones because of Joe's scheme to help Hank, and that led Hoss into explaining all about Clementine Hawkins and how she chased after his father. He told the story of how Adam had mimicked her accent and asked about where the barbells were going to be hung at the Ponderosa. John loved hearing the stories and it made him feel as if he was part of a real family again, but he knew too how important it was for Hoss to be able to talk about his older brother who was absent. It made it seem like he was there, and that was important to the big man. Apparently Ben and Joe didn't talk about Adam much finding that talking about him made his absence hurt more. For Hoss, it was the opposite so John was an important outlet for him.

Chapter 6

From the his vantage point up the slope by his cabin, John watched three men trailing another man dressed all in black. John assumed the three were a posse and that the bearded man they were following was an outlaw. The longer he watched them though, the more he wondered about those conclusions. The single man seemed not to be aware he was being followed and rode more as if he was lost in thought or distracted by something else entirely. It was a dangerous way to travel even without a posse closing in on you. Slowly though, the man in black seemed to get a bit edgy noticing perhaps that it was abnormally quiet where he was. There should have been birds singing and small animals moving about. John watched as he first looked all around for signs of movement and saw none as the three men in pursuit weren't close enough yet to be seen so easily. Then he watched as the man surveyed the sky perhaps looking to see if there was a hawk or eagle that had frightened the smaller creatures. Seeing none, he settled back into his saddle and then startled John far more by calling out a friendly greeting in Paiute perhaps wondering if there were some members of the tribe near who were unsure of his intent. There was no answer of course and the man looked decidedly worried then loosening his pistol in its holster and then checking to see that his rifle would pull free easily if needed. Moving forward more cautiously then and checking around for signs of danger, he caused the three who were following him to fan out to come at him from three sides if they could. The drama was too good to miss so John too his horse and began to move along the ridgeline keeping all four in sight as much as he could while keeping himself in cover. When the confrontation came, it was a shock.

The three charged in at the man in black as John expected catching him by surprise as much as they could. The man was a good shot, but on horseback in the trees, it was difficult, and then his horse shied with the gunfire, stumbled, and threw him. He fell awkwardly and the three were on him before he had a chance to do anything to protect himself any further. John expected an arrest. Instead, they took everything of value the man had including his coat and boots. He heard the man complain.

"If you leave me here like this, I'll die. That's not just robbery. That's murder."

"It won't matter. Nobody is ever gonna know. A bear or wolves or a mountain lion maybe likely to get your body and have a feast. Nobody is gonna find you nohow cause all they'll find bones scattered about. Maybe if they find you soon enough, there'll be some stinking flesh attached. They'll feel a bit sorry for ya, but not too much thinking you musta been kind of stupid to get caught by a bear or whatever."

"You've done this before."

"Maybe we have and maybe we ain't. It's not your concern. Now shut up."

For good measure, one of the men swung the butt of his rifle up to hit the taller man on the back of the head stunning him and dropping him to his knees. It wasn't enough for them though. They each slammed their rifle butts into him and kicked him until he was unconscious and still on the ground. Laughing, they mounted up and leading the extra horse, headed back the way they had come.

Sighing, John knew what he had to do. He rode down the slope to where the man lay and after some effort, managed to get him up and across his saddle. He tied him in place so he wouldn't slide off and then headed back up the slope to his cabin. It was a long slow walk with his bad leg, and he wasn't even sure the man would be alive by the time they got to the cabin, but he had to try. At the cabin, he was exhausted but relieved to find the tall man was still breathing. He untied him and slid him from the horse and dragged him into the cabin. He was glad he had that extra cot that Hoss used when he visited because it was handy at that moment. He wasn't used to lifting a man into the cot though and it took some time to get him in there. When he finally did and got him resting on his back with a blanket stretched over him, he wondered what he could do for him. He had head injuries. John could do nothing for that. He decided about all he could do was to keep the man comfortable, give him water and food if he woke, and keep him warm. If he survived, then John would learn more about his story and what he ought to do with him next.

Then the oddest thing happened and made John begin to think really hard. The man was sleeping on the cot Hoss slept on, using the blanket Hoss used, and resting his head on the pillow Hoss rested his head on. The injured man woke slightly at one point and John did his best to give him some water. The man lay back then and whispered only one word. "Hoss." He said it softly but so clearly as if he thought it was Hoss Cartwright who had helped him. John sat there and wondered how the man could possibly think that. How could he know Hoss? How could he realize perhaps that he was in Hoss' bed or the one Hoss used on occasion? After a lot of thought, John decided he better let Hoss know but he couldn't let this man alone for days. He walked outside and fired off several shots to try to summon some of the Paiute to come to his place. He figured they'd be curious and want to know why there was shooting over to his place. They were. A short time later, he walked out and hollered in Paiute for them to come in cause he needed to talk to them. Several came to his cabin then and he explained the whole story to them. Two agreed that they would summon Hoss for him. He thanked them and told them he had to get back to his patient but that they were welcome to the deer he had hanging in the tree.

"I won't be able to get at it to make jerky 'cause I got that sick man inside to take care of. Cut me a good piece for making stew and take the rest with ya."

When John got back inside, he found the man trying to sit up.

"Now you lay back. You ain't fit to be getting up at all. What you want anyhow?"

The man resisted a little or as much as he could in the condition he was in. In a soft voice, he did explain the reason he wanted to get up. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to need a basin or a bucket. If not now, soon."

Understanding, John told him to lay on his side and he would take care of it. As quickly as he could, he got a large bowl and put some wood shavings in it from his carving. He set it beside the low bed. "Now I got it right here and it's ready for ya. I'll stay right here. I know ya probably are gonna need it real soon ifn ya don't fall back asleep. Nobody ever retches out when they're sleeping so I'll wait to see which it's gonna be." John watched as the man lay there in obvious distress until he raised his head and leaned to the side. Quickly John was there to help him to make sure he didn't fall and to hold the bowl for him as he did retch out the little that was in his stomach. Exhausted then, the man lay with his eyes closed. John moved the bowl away and gave him a cup of water. "Here, take some in your mouth and swish it around and spit it back out into the cup. It'll make ya feel a bit better." Once that was accomplished, John eased him back to rest again on the pillow and pulled the blanket across him before going to the kitchen to brew some weak broth. He brought it back and spooned just a little into the man's mouth telling him he needed that to ease his mouth and throat after what he'd done. "All right, now you need to sleep. I'll be here if ya need anything more." John had a suspicion as to the identity of the man he had rescued and was anxious for Hoss to arrive to confirm or deny that conclusion. The man himself was seldom awake and then John concentrated on the things that needed to be done. Those tasks usually exhausted the man enough that he fell back asleep. He seemed to spend most of his time sleeping.

Therefore, when John heard Hoss' voice, he couldn't help grinning especially when that voice also made the man on the cot stir and open his eyes too. Just that was enough for John to know he had to be correct. John flung the door open and Hoss filled the entrance darkening the space within until he entered fully. One look over at the cot, and Hoss' mouth dropped open as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He moved closer to get a good look.

"Dagnabit, I would never have believed it ifn I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes."

"Good to see you too, brother."

"What you doing up here, Adam?"

It was clear it was difficult, but Adam did his best to talk. "I thought I'd come across the mountains and have some time to think."

"Why d'ya do a fool thing like that ridin' through such rough country all alone?"

"I've done it before."

"Yeah, before. Should I remind you about Eskith and Danny and Kane and a few other times you had some close calls 'cause you was alone? Damn, you're a stubborn man. For a man likes schooling, ya don't learn too well."

Sitting back, John was amused by the two brothers. Even as Hoss was admonishing Adam for what he had done, he was gently checking him over and pulling the blanket up to his chin to make sure he was warm enough, and all the while keeping one hand on Adam's arm to reassure him that he was there for him no matter what.

"Hoss, I lost her. I got married, and we were coming back, but we had a terrible fight. It seems we often have fights, but this one made her walk out on me. I looked for her everywhere and then I found that she booked passage on a ship. She left me."

"Nah, she didn't."

"Hoss, she's gone."

"Nope, she's been at the Ponderosa for nigh onto two weeks now. We been wondering where you were. She thought you woulda come straight here. We had no idea you was gonna do something stupid like ride through the mountains."

"She's at the Ponderosa?"

"I said that already. That bump on the head affect your hearing too? She said you and her are a lot alike. Course she's got that French accent that makes things sound real purtty when she says 'em and sometimes I'm not so sure what she's saying but it's still real purty to hear. Anyway, she says you're both stubborn and got hot tempers and she figures that you'll both be better off here with family to help ya settle things. She said it would be better for the baby if you had a place that you could call home instead of wandring all over creation."

"What baby?"

"You been married and I know you been with women before so you ought to know aobut babies and how they're made or that knock on the head did a lot more damage than we thought."

"She didn't tell me we were going to have a baby."

"Well she is."

"I need to get there."

"You're not going anywhere for a bit. You rest easy there. I'll have to ride home or send somebody to get a wagon to get you home. You can't ride like you are. I can tell just be seeing how your eyes are that you shouldn't be on a horse and I only got one here anyway. So lay back and get some rest while John and I figure on what we're gonna do next."

"Is Eve with her?"

When Hoss said she was, Adam groaned. "Why don't you like her? I like her a lot."

Looking up hopefully, Adam checked out Hoss' expression. "A lot? Like in you'd like to kiss her?" Seeing Hoss blush, Adam had to grin. "You already kissed her, didn't you? Hoss, please, please romance her and take her away from Corinne. I love Corinne, but you don't know what it's like when the two of them gang up on me. Corinne doesn't need to have a lady servant out here. Please?"

"I don't know if a French lady would be interested in a cowboy like me."

"Oh, please, she's not French. All that 'madame' and such is an act. She's a cockney from England who needed a job and didn't care how much it paid as long as it got her out of the pubs. Get her to drink a few glasses of wine and you'll meet the real Eve."

The brothers talked more after Adam got some sleep, and it was decided that Hoss would go back to the Ponderosa to get a wagon and Corinne. Adam would be transported back to the Ponderosa, and he and Corinne would make plans for their future. When Hoss returned to do that, he turned to John before leaving with Adam and Corinne.

"John, we'll be sending the usual payment for services to the Ponderosa. Pa will likely want to send a bonus for this one."

"Nope, Hoss, this one's on me. I done it as a friend."

Hoss shook John's hand. "Yep, we're friends. Now, Sunday, Hop Sing is fixing an extra special meal. I expect to see you there. I reckon we'll be eating about five."

"I'll be there."

Hoss could not have had a bigger grin. Or maybe he could have. While he was gone to get the wagon, John and Adam had two days to talk. Adam said he wanted to build his own house and would need someone to take care of the stable and the stock because he planned to open an office in town. John said he'd be interested and Adam had hired him. When John came down on Sunday, it was going to be a permanent move. He was going back to white society by making a move to the Ponderosa. He would see a lot of his friend Hoss and he wouldn't be lonely any more.


End file.
